Paramount Pictures has announced the November release of a classic science-fiction double consisting of the 4K Ultra HD debut of the 1953 The War of the Worlds, and the Blu-ray debut of the 1951 When Worlds Collide. The Limited Edition Collector's Release with include a digipack sleeve housed in a slipcase with 8 photo cards, 5 art cards and 2 magnets. The disc also includes the infamous 1938 radio broadcast of War of the Worlds narrated by Orson Welles, and more.
The 1953 adaptation of H.G. Wells’ acclaimed novel, The War of the Worlds was nominated for three Academy Awards and won for Best Special Effects. The film was directed by Byron Haskin, stars Gene Barry
and Ann Robinson, and boast luminous Technicolor cinematography by industry veteran George Barnes, whose CV includes Rebecca (1940) and Spellbound (1945) for Alfred Hitchcock, and sword and sandals epic Samson and Delilah (1949).
1951’s When Worlds Collide was nominated for two Academy Awards and won for Best Special Effects. Both this film and The War of the Worlds were produced by George Pal, a Hungarian-American animator, director, and producer who was a leading figure in sci-fi filmmaking. It was directed by former cinematographer Rudolph Maté, whose remarkable work behind the camera includes The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) for Carl Theodor Dreyer, Foreign Correspondent (1940) for Alfred Hitchcock, To Be or Not to Be (1942) for Ernst Lubitsch, and Gilda (1946) for Charles Vidor. As a director he had already made his name with noir thrillers like The Dark Past (1948) and D.O.A. (1949), and would go on to helm swashbuckling favourite The Black Shield of Falworth (1954) and wartime romance Miracle in the Rain (1956). The film stars Gene Barry, Ann Robinson and Les Tremayne.
The Limited Collector's Edition of of War of the Worlds (4K UHD) and When Worlds Collide (Blu-ray) will be released in the UK by Paramount Home Entertainment at a retail price of what appears to be £29.99.
SPECIAL FEATURES (FOR WAR OF THE WORLDS ONLY):
- Commentary by actors Ann Robinson and Gene Barry
- Commentary by film director Joe Dante, film historian Bob Burns, and Bill Warren, author of Keep Watching The Skies!
- The Sky Is Falling: Making The War of the Worlds
- H.G. Wells: The Father of Science Fiction
- The Mercury Theatre On The Air presents The War of the Worlds radio broadcast
- Original Theatrical Trailer
|
